Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Alexandria Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Alexandria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Bucharest versus $918 in Alexandria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Bucharest versus $1,407 in Alexandria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Bucharest versus $1,896 in Alexandria.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 56% more expensive than in Alexandria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 4% above, Alexandria is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.63 RON 70.6

$8.77 RON 39.62

78.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 RON 281

$32.51 RON 147

91.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.46

$7.70 RON 34.77

1.95%

Cappuccino

$3.63 RON 16.38

$1.74 RON 7.85

108.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 RON 11.18

$1.93 RON 8.71

28.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 RON 10.65

$1.56 RON 7.06

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 RON 17.71

$2.17 RON 9.81

80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 RON 20.32

$2.62 RON 11.83

71.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 RON 8.12

$1.50 RON 6.78

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 RON 6.36

$0.84 RON 3.78

67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.04

$1.21 RON 5.45

47.11%

Eggs

$3.88 RON 17.51

$2.19 RON 9.90

77.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 RON 43.42

$5.16 RON 23.31

86.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 RON 32.33

$4.69 RON 21.20

52.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 RON 55.3

$8.48 RON 38.32

44.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.31 RON 5.93

$0.91 RON 4.10

43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 RON 7.66

$1.18 RON 5.35

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 RON 7.35

$0.98 RON 4.42

66.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 RON 12.54

$1.01 RON 4.58

175.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 RON 3.89

$0.69 RON 3.10

24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.36

$0.65 RON 2.93

13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 RON 4.25

$0.74 RON 3.36

27.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 RON 4.40

$0.89 RON 4.04

8.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 RON 31.03

$5.53 RON 24.97

24.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 RON 30.07

$5.38 RON 24.32

23.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 RON 5.67

$0.96 RON 4.35

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 RON 7.81

$1.08 RON 4.88

60.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 RON 4.86

$0.63 RON 2.85

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 RON 98.6

$44.26 RON 200

-50.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.88

$0.45 RON 2.04

42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 RON 3.08

$0.42 RON 1.91

61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 RON 29.20

$5.77 RON 26.06

11.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 RON 8.96

$1.68 RON 7.57

17.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.4K RON 132.6K

$17.2K RON 77.5K

71.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.8K RON 125.7K

$23.7K RON 107.0K

17.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$204 RON 920

$122 RON 551

67.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.53 RON 38.53

$5.59 RON 25.26

52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.87 RON 44.58

$8.02 RON 36.21

23.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 RON 247

$62.7 RON 283

-12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 RON 116

$26.84 RON 121

-4.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 RON 40.02

$6.50 RON 29.36

36.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$663 RON 2,995

$326 RON 1,474

103.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K RON 69.0K

$6,983 RON 31.5K

118.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 RON 430

$56.0 RON 253

69.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.99 RON 185

$23.04 RON 104

77.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 RON 373

$67.5 RON 305

22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 RON 454

$66.9 RON 302

50.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 RON 3,206

$334 RON 1,507

112.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 RON 2,215

$254 RON 1,146

93.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 RON 5,103

$616 RON 2,782

83.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 RON 3,428

$448 RON 2,021

69.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,914 RON 17.7K

$1,314 RON 5,934

197.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,317 RON 10.5K

$838 RON 3,784

176.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 RON 6,711

$906 RON 4,093

63.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

6.73

1.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucharest: September 1, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $710 in Bucharest and $334 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bucharest pays 64% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Bucharest vs $33.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $157 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucharest vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Bucharest. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Bucharest, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $710 in Bucharest versus $334 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,430 per month in Bucharest versus $918 in Alexandria – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 103% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Alexandria versus $1,430 in Bucharest, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Alexandria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Alexandria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.